Launching secure Norwegian cloud storage for companies

Norman Safeground to launch Norman SecureBox

Norman Safeground is launching Norman SecureBox, a Norwegian service that will allow companies to control and maintain security with regard to how employees share and synchronise files between PCs and mobile devices.

Oslo, 3 September 2013 Many companies find that employees are uploading company documents to insecure cloud services. Recent figures indicate that 71 per cent of employees do not care about company guidelines. This is why a secure, sharable and not least administrable storage option is required. If companies fail to take on board such secure solutions, employees themselves will start using insecure solutions on their own and the company will lose control of its data and documents.

“Norman SecureBox allows companies to share, synchronise and back up both files and folders simply and securely. Security is very much needed in a world in which information is being shared more and more widely and made accessible or ever-increasing numbers of devices,” says Arne Uppheim, Product Director at Norman Safeground.

Many individuals and companies nowadays are concerned with how data physically ends up in the cloud, and with maintaining good accessibility. Norman SecureBox stores all data in Norway at two fully redundant, physically discrete and secure data centres. Users would not notice anything even if one of the data centres were to be disabled by a fire or other such incident.

Encrypted in the vault
Norman SecureBox creates a separate area on the user’s hard disk, known as the vault. All files stored in the vault are protected by 256-bit encryption (AES). When the Norman SecureBox application is closed, the vault is invisible and so there can be no unauthorised access to it. Files are simply moved to the vault using the drag-and-drop method, then they are encrypted immediately, backed up to the cloud and, if so required, made available for sharing with others.

If files are deleted or edited by accident, they can be reloaded from the cloud, where Norman SecureBox stores its backups.

Company maintains control

The company owns data stored in Norman SecureBox. Administrators can access files in the cloud solution, so they can be both retrieved and deleted. The company can use shared folders.

Norman SecureBox also uses Theftguard technology, which protects the content on mobile devices. Norman SecureBox will be available with market-leading mobile support for iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry right from day one. If devices are lost or stolen, users and administrators can remotely delete files while also retaining secure copies of the data in the Norman SecureBox cloud. Lost or stolen devices can be tracked via the Google Maps service.

Norman SecureBox has a notification system which notifies administrators when files in the company’s shared vault are added, deleted or edited.

Files can also be sent securely and simply with Norman SecureBox. A link is sent to the recipient instead of sending large files, and the recipient then downloads the files. Users can also send links to entire folders containing files. These links can be protected to varying degrees, with passwords, a limit on the number of permitted downloads, an expiry date and notification on download.

“It is a clear advantage for customers and partners to have access to secure cloud storage and file sharing solutions from Norman Safeground, in addition to the existing product portfolio of the same Norwegian supplier,” concludes Uppheim.

Norman SecureBox also includes functions such as:

Online recycle bin: When a file is deleted from a shared vault, the file is deleted from all vault users. An online recycle bin deals with the files, which can be restored if so required.

Delta Sync: The synchronisation process is made as quick as possible due to the fact that only new or edited file content is updated.

Ignore files: Very sensitive files placed in the vault for security reasons can be assigned a special Ignore function so that they cannot be shared with other users of the vault. The same function can also be used to prevent large files being transferred when there is no broadband-speed Internet connection available.

Online file control: Users can use a secure connection to manage the vault from any computer. Files can also be uploaded, downloaded and updated via the online file control.

Email2Folder: Each and every vault has its own unique e-mail address, so users can send e-mail with attachments directly to the vault using their normal e-mail client.